Jordan Heights is a 24-block densely populated neighborhood of 8,089 residents living in 3,308 housing units located in center city Allentown. Though this area was once a draw for residents of the Lehigh Valley, it has now become one of the most physically and economically distressed in the region. The neighborhood is plagued with problems, but also features several key assets that will promote revitalization through this plan. "Connecting Jordan Heights: Action Strategies for Neighborhood Revitalization" was created with strong community involvement. Input from over 350 different neighborhood residents and stakeholders was compiled through resident surveys, community meetings, and stakeholder interviews. Key concerns were organized into six categories, which were addressed by task forces comprised of residents, service providers, city officials, and others. Findings from the task forces were brought back to the steering committee and used to generate the plan. "Connecting Jordan Heights" is composed of action strategies in eight distinct categories:

 

1)   Building neighborhood organization through improved community security,

2)   Improving the quality of life in Jordan Heights through community amenities,

3)   Marketing Jordan Heights as a Homeownership Choice Neighborhood,

4)   Connecting Jordan Heights residents to effective services and programming,

5)   Creating a clean, green, and artistic community,

6)   Strengthening rental property maintenance and operations,

7)   Connecting Jordan Heights to the Lehigh Valley through more effective and attractive circulation and commercial activity, and

8)   Coordinating overall program activities. Each of the aforementioned categories has three to five associated goals in addition to specific action strategies. The entire project encompasses a total of thirty multi-faceted action strategies.  

 

CADCA was awarded an implementation grant from the Wachovia Regional Foundation to partner with Housing Association and Development Corporation to deploy the community's physical assets, service providers, and human capital to strengthen the fabric of the neighborhood. Thirty-six partners have been committed to the implementation of the plan to provide a holistic approach to solving neighborhood problems.